Transforming Trauma Episode116: Addiction, Attachment, and the Myth of Normal With Dr. Gabor Maté

What’s the root cause of addiction? Renowned author and researcher Dr. Gabor Maté considers addiction a normal response to abnormal circumstances. That simple reframe moves treatment options beyond pathologizing to inspire hope and a path toward healing.

On this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily is thrilled to welcome back Gabor Maté, MD, the esteemed physician best known for his breakthrough analysis of addiction as a psychophysiological response to childhood trauma and emotional loss. Gabor co-wrote his latest work, The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture, alongside his son Daniel Maté. It became an instant New York Times bestseller, and the duo is already working on their next project, Hello Again: A Fresh Start for Parents and Their Adult Children. Emily and Gabor explore the pain behind addiction and the promise of wholeness.

“Addiction isn’t the problem,” observes Gabor, who defines the behavior as anything––from narcotics to pornography, social media to shopping, exercise to alcohol––in which a person finds temporary relief or pleasure and, therefore, craves but can’t or won’t give up despite its negative impact on their life. “It’s an attempt to solve a problem, and the problem is one of pain.” Addiction then is often an understandable but maladaptive response to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). “It does not mean that there's something irrevocably wrong with you. It does mean that (the addiction) was adaptive at some point, but it's not helping you anymore.”